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Church, House on warpath anew on birth control

07/15/2008

The Roman Catholic Church and the House of Representatives appear to be on a warpath again, following a statement made by Ozamis Archbishop Jesus Dosado that lawmakers supporting legalized abortion should be denied Holy Communion.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said while he is not keen on supporting legalized abortion, he is opposed to the call made by Archbishop Dosado.

“While I may agree with the Archbishop that we should not legalize abortion, I don’t really agree that those who believe otherwise should be denied the right to receive the body of Christ in Holy Communion,” Nograles said.

“We may vary in our beliefs but we are all equal in the eyes of God,” he said, adding “we should not be hasty in condemning others for their beliefs.”

Around two years ago, religious groups picketed the House of Representatives when it was deliberating on the Reproductive Health Bill.

In a pastoral letter released Sunday, Dosado said a Catholic politician who consistently campaigns and vote for permissive abortion should be instructed on Church’s teachings and informed by parish priests that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin or he will be denied the Eucharist.

Dosado added that this decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of the Holy Communion passing judgment on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

Nograles, however, citing the principle of the separation of the church and state, said there must be mutual respect between and among church officials and those in government.

“We are in a democratic state. We must respect the principle of separation of church and state, especially political beliefs,” Nograles said, adding that the issue of abortion is not just a moral issue but also an economic and political issue.

As leader of the deliberative House of the People, Nograles said there must be democratic space for all political issues. Public debates on important issues like abortion and family planning must be allowed so that the people will understand the issues involved.

“There is nothing wrong in debating the issues of abortion and family planning. Everybody is welcome to participate in this crucial public debate. Let us not judge outright the proponents of abortion. We do not know what is in the deep recesses of their hearts. Let us listen first,” Nograles said.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson said that Dosado’s call was way off the mandate of the church even as he said that fewer people now believe in the Catholic Church after the death of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

“That’s a below the belt call. It is an unfair and undemocratic call. It is like saying that the threat of the fear of God and freedoms enjoyed in a democracy cannot go together.”

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin explained that the Reproductive Health Bill now pending before Congress is not about abortion and that the church has nothing to fear about the bill.

In a telephone interview, Rep. Garin, one of the major proponents of the bill on reproductive health which has already passed the committee level, lashed at the Ozamis City Archbishopfor allegedly twisting information and passing off her reproductive health measure as a form of abortion.

“I am alarmed and frightened at what is happening with the Catholic Church. Family planning, condoms, pills, IUD and ligation have never been defined as abortion. The bill even calls for penalizing abortion, abortionists and those selling abortion drugs (including around Quiapo Church-pamparegla),” said Garin.

The Iloilo solon also lamented that the Church, had been “instructing President Arroyo to pressure Congress and her Cabinet.”

“Why? Probably because they want poverty to thrive more in our country,” she said. “I believe even God wouldn’t tolerate those acts. I call on the Catholic Church not to allow dictatorship in its ranks.”

Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, a Baptist bishop, said that it is within the prerogative of the Catholic Church’s to impose this on their followers.

“That is their (Catholic Church) religious prerogative to the members of their flock who they believe violated the laws of their Church, it is not restricting their freedom. Every institution including the Church has rules that must be followed,” Abante said.

For his part, Sen. Panfilo Lacson took the view that pushing population management to slow down a monstrous population growth does not automatically promote abortion.

Lacson said a bill he filed in the 14th Congress encourages reproductive health and population management, yet rejects abortion and considers it a grave criminal offense.

“Advocating population management is not being anti-life. In fact, it is pro-country and pro-people. My bill still treats abortion as a serious crime but provides for other Christian methods to manage our country’s monstrous population growth rate that has become one of the world’s highest at 2.36 percent,” he said.

He chided some sectors for claiming such a legislation – which include a systematic information campaign, support systems and incentives – is anti-life. To claim it is anti-life without carefully studying its provisions would be “parochial and downright stupid,” he said.

On the other hand, Lacson maintained population management is urgent now as most poor Filipinos do not have enough food or access to basic services.

“There is not enough food on the table, many are homeless, the poor have almost zero opportunity to have access to education, health care and the most basic social services, which they can otherwise enjoy with an efficient but moral population management program,” he said.

In the 14th Congress, Lacson filed Senate Bill 43, which creates a reproductive health and population management council to implement an integrated policy on reproductive health.

The bill contains provisions for timely, complete and accurate information and education on reproductive health, and access to safe, adequate and affordable reproductive health care services – all as a preventive measure against abortion.

Senate Bill 43 promotes a population management program that aims to encourage the limitation of the number of children to an affordable level of two children per family; discourage migration to urban centers and decongesting thickly populated areas; promote effective partnership among the national government, local government units and the private sector on population management; and conduct studies on and provide incentives for the deceleration of population growth.

“This bill continues to proscribe (ban) abortion, which is a crime under the Revised Penal Code,” Lacson stressed.

Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Liza Maza expressed fears that the statement issued by Church leaders seeking to deny communion to authors of legislative measures on reproductive health care could bring the delivery of services and education on women’s healthcare and protection to the dark ages and set the country back from meeting Millennium Development Goal targets.

“The statement virtually condemns those who seek to give education and reproductive healthcare alternatives to women in a country where about 10 to 12 women die every day due to pregnancy-related causes. Besides, none of the bills pending in the House of Representatives endorse abortion as a method of contraception,” said Maza. Gerry Baldo, Charlie V. Manalo and Tribune wires.